Just wondering if anyone has installed after market recovery points to the front of their T2, or is the stock tow hitch solid enough? There are two points that could fit shackles, I bought two 4.75 T but the 19mm pin won't quite go through. I not sure whether to buy lower rated shackles, file out the hole a little or whether they are the best points to use. I have also found some d22 after market recovery points. Would they fit? Would they be worth purchasing?

Due to the overwhelming response I have to let you know how I went.
I have now used lower rated shackles (3.25t).
I wasnt sure these would be up to the stresses of vehicle recovery. I am now confident they will do the job.

As has been commented and discussed in numerous threads here already (altho not specifically for Terrano's) those tie down points were never meant to take recovery loads, especially if you are talking snatch recoveries! And since they are welded onto the chassis, by adding rated shackles into the recovery rigging you make the tie downs the weak point, which means that if anything is going to tear off the front of the car it will include the tie downs, probably a lump of chassis or two, AND a shackle or two as well, letting that bundle of potentially deadly projectiles loose to fly at someone's head or their vehicle at speeds in excess of 230kph!!

Sure, you might get away with it a few times, but I've seen sooooo many factory tie downs that ultimately failed during recoveries that I'm absolutely sure that by using them you are flirting with death each and every time!! Not such a smart thing to do regardless of who's life it is you are risking!

An Ex-Service person is someone who thought enough about their country & how great it is, how lucky we are to live here, to write a blank cheque made out to 'The People and Commonwealth of Australia' for the value of 'Up to & including my Life!'

Thanks Mr Aawen.
Like most people I'm not keen to put myself and those around me in danger, so I appreciate the feedback.

And thanks for the message Pedro( for some reason I can't reply to you).
I am now going to get another recovery hook for the passenger side. For some reason I had it in my head that the hook was not for snatching.

Green T wrote:Just wondering if anyone has installed after market recovery points to the front of their T2, or is the stock tow hitch solid enough?

Are we talking about the front or the back?

Not too sure about the R20, but I'm of the understanding that the chassis is very similar to the WD21 chassis.
The WD21's came with a very nice beefy recovery hook bolted to the front of the chassis, so if you don't have one, try and chase one up from a WD21 that's being wrecked.
Bolts up with two M12x1.25, 50mm bolts from memory.

The OE hooks on my current and my previous (now donor) were exact opposites somehow, so now I have a nice matched pair on the front (one each side).

I got by for years with the big J shaped hook on the (left??) front corner. It was well attached with 2 x 12mm bolts from memory. It looked like this one, but flipped onto the other side:

I have a vague memory of having to shim it down around 1/4" when I fitted a bull bar too. If your bar was fitted before you got the car, it may have found it's way into the scrap bin.

It saw some action though:

I tried fitting a forged hook, but the captive nuts in the chassis rail were the wrong spacing and the J hook was strong enough being bolted direct to a ladder chassis. I used to go out with some blokes in R50 pathfinders and one of them almost had the front torn off his car as the recovery point is attached to sheet metal.

3.2 ton rated shackles are all you need as they are tested to about 3 times that. 4.2 is probably overkill. Don't use the tie down loops as they aren't made for it. If you don't have the hook, try a wrecker and see if you can get one off a Navara. Failing that, get some 50mm x 6 mm angle iron and drill it to fit the hole spacing on the chassis (both left and right) so you get something like this... or just buy one:http://everything4wd.com.au/ProductDeta ... e=RP-NAV40